basketball breakdown

I have a 7 year old son that was asked to play on a competitve basketball team with 9 other boys in his class. He loves basketball, played last year for a recreation program, and he's pretty good.

He had his 2nd game today, and about 3 minutes into it, he started messing around with his hands (cracking his knuckles), looking very worried and getting very fidgety - he started walking toward the bench (where his coaches were) and had a very strange look on his face...I know the look. His dad went to talk to him to try to calm him down and my son lost it and started crying. I pulled him aside and tried to reassure him and figure out what was bothering him and he didn't seem to know why he was crying.

I'm concerned because I don't want to let his team and coach down, but mostly I don't want to let my son down. I don't want him to quit playing because I don't want to convey that it's okay to give up, but I don't want my 7 year old to suffer obvious uncontrollable anxiety, either. Also with the constant fidgety and playing with his hands - should I be concerned with ADHD?

Brief Background: healthy full term birth, stayed home with me (Mom) until he was 3 then started preschool, his K-2nd (he's currently in 2nd grade) teachers say he behaves well and wish they had a classroom full of him, his grades are the top of his class and he is above grade level in math and reading. Family environment: his Dad and I are married, he has a 14 year old sister and 17 year old brother, he's the baby and he's very sociable.

This description does not invite concern about ADHD. It does raise the question of anxiety, and this deserves some consideration. If the event was an anomaly and does not typify your son's behavior in gneral in such situations, I would let it go. However, if it is persisitng I would arrange an evaluation with a pediatric mental health clinician.

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